Disney-alternative European theme park to open epic 301-room hotel that transports you to EGYPT
A EUROPEAN theme park that is a great Disney alternative has revealed it is opening a grand new hotel in just months.
Park Asterix in France, which is cheaper than Disneyland Paris and is under 19miles from the centre of Paris, is opening a themed hotel for up to 750 guests in March.
Opening on March 26, The Odyssey will be the park’s fourth hotel and boast 301 rooms across four themed sections.
The hotel will have a more “mineral theme”, designed around Asterix’s travels to the Orient.
The hotel will be inspired by caravanserais – typical fortified buildings used as a lodging by merchants and their animals in the likes of Egypt.
The hotel will have four facades surrounding a central courtyard with a number of common areas on the ground floor and bedrooms then on the upper floors.
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In the courtyard, there will be four areas around a central oasis.
Each will be a garden with a different theme including Persian, Phoenician, Egyptian, and Mesopotamian.
And then the interior of each facade will correspond with one of the four themes.
In the Mesopotamia area, for example, there will be different artisans.
Then in the Phoenicia area, the theme will centre around welcoming merchants.
And finally the Egyptian section will transport guests to the banks of the River Nile.
The entire roof of the hotel will then also feature lots of plants.
When it comes to the bedrooms, each will have a double bed that can be separated into two single beds if needed and an alcove with a bunk bed in.
Rooms will be able to host between three and six people.
And if you fancy something a little more lavish, there will be four suites and large terrace on the second floor as well.
The four-star hotel will be twice the size of the other three hotels at the park.
When it comes to dining options, there will be two all-you-can-eat restaurants – La Table des Rois (The Kings’ Table) and La Table Gourmande (The Gourmet Table).
A bar is also in the plans, at the centre of the gardens.
The new hotel was first announced in October last year when the park was also revealed to be the second most visited theme park in France.
And the hotel is part of a wider €250million (£212.6million) investment project to expand the park by 2030.
This year, the park transformed its Egypt area including the re-theming of the Oxygénarium attraction to become The Descent of the Nile.
Les Chaises Volantes then also became The Flight of Ibis and the Le Cirque restaurant became Le Comptoir d’Epidemaïs.
In 2027, the park will also open a new Greek zone with two family attractions, a playground and a restaurant.
And in 2028, there will be a Londinium Zone which will be an indoor area inspired by Asterix in Britain comic books.
Veronica Lorraine , Gardening Editor and Associate Head of Features, who recently visited the park, said: “With more than 50 attractions, there really is a ride for everyone, regardless of age, or fear factor — you definitely need more than one day if you want to get round all of them.
“Disney certainly has the monopoly on world-renowned characters and a blow-out budget to create that real wow factor, all of which seems impossible to compete with — yet somehow Parc Asterix does.
“The tickets are cheaper, the food is better, the shows are spectacular and the rides are a total revelation.
“Add in a sprawling protected countryside backdrop just 30km outside Paris, with three separate hotels within the grounds at very reasonable prices, and you’ve got yourself a winner.
“It’s pure escapism, based all around the cherished world of Asterix — the man who, in famous French comics, protected France from the Romans.”